1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to apparatus for securing wheeled vehicles to certain locations on a floor or ground surface, and more specifically to an apparatus to be mounted in asphalt parking lots to prevent unmanned shopping cares from rolling freely and colliding with and damaging vehicles parked within the parking lot.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,459,280 to Grimm discloses a boundary barrier for preventing removal of wheeled carts, such as shopping carts, from a specific area. The boundary barrier consists of a grid wherein the vehicle-wheel traps 12 are spaced apart a certain distance to receive wheels 18 from the vehicle 14.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,384 to Choy discloses a shopping cart braking apparatus designed to prevent removal of shopping carts from parking lots of supermarkets. The apparatus comprises braking surface 1 which cooperates with specially designed swivel wheels 3 on a shopping cart 2.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,818 to Kakavas discloses a display table attachment for shopping carts. The attachment is designed to be utilized with a display table such as is found in retail outlets and high volume food marts. The table is configured to be raised above a floor surface to an optimum height for passers-by to view an associated shopping cart.
As is seen from a review of the related art discussed above, there remained a need for a simple device which could be conveniently located in parking lots and which could effectively secure wheeled shopping carts in a specific location.
Frequently, after a shopper has emptied their shopping cart into the trunk of their vehicle, the shopping cart is allowed to roll freely across the parking lot and collide with parked vehicles. Often, owners of these damaged vehicles seek compensation from the store. For many stores, compensation for such incidental damage to parked vehicles amounts to several thousand dollars per year.
Applicant has developed an inexpensive yet effective solution to this problem.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved apparatus for securing shopping carts at a location within a parking lot. The invention is simple in design, effective in use, and overcomes the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous overall results.